Naruto: Mokuton Chronicles
by RinneTaicho
Summary: 68 years ago, Hashirama and Mito had a second child. That child grew to give birth to the man that would become the Yondaime Hokage, although his origins would remain unknown. Now, ancient bloodlines are stirring in the great-grandson of the man who founded Konoha. These are the chronicles of his journey. Mokuton/Smart/Strong Naruto, NarutoxHarem, bigger summary inside. NEW POLL!


**Naruto: Mokuton Chronicles**

**AN/ Ok, so here is the first of the ideas I mentioned in the last chapter of NSRC(Naruto: Soul Reaper Chronicles). It's inspired by "Naruto Senju: Hashirama's Heir" by Hamp24, but, I'd like to clarify, it is ONLY inspired by. The only thing they will really have in common, is that Naruto will have both Hashirama's Mokuton, and Sensing Abilities. **

**In this fic, Naruto will have Mokuton, obviously, and he will also have very powerful sensing abilities. At the beginning, he won't be able to really control it, and they will basically extend to sensing presences and emotions in close proximity. I'm thinking once he can control it, it will be a form of Ranmaru's dojutsu, from the Curry of Life Arc in the Anime, although I am on the fence on whether he will have the perception and genjutsu abilities, and the ability to mess with other dojutsu. I'd appreciate your opinions on this in the reviews.**

**Now, info for things you will and will not see in this fic**

**You will NOT see: **

· **A civilian council, the only council in Naruto, is the Konoha council, which comprises of _exactly_ two people, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado, who are there in a strictly advisory capacity, with the Hokage having the final say. This is actually given on the Naruto Wiki.**

· **Naruto being attacked by mobs. The only attacks I've found any evidence of, were by kids. The worst thing that ever happened to him, was being ignored by everyone, or getting beat up by bullies.**

· **Over the top bashing. I will, admittedly, seem harsh to Sakura, and maybe Sasuke. The reason is, I find Sakura in the first part, to have very few redeeming qualities, with brief moments where she is actually an ok individual(A.K.A, cheering for Naruto in the Chūnin Exams). I simply think that Sakura needs some pushes, and bitch slaps from reality, to set her straight.**

· **Fem-Kyuubi, I am not too fond of this pairing, as it usually involves Naruto somehow becoming immortal.**

**You WILL see:**

· **This will be a harem, a small one, but one nonetheless. The reason is not going to be because of the CRA, no, it will be because they are a ninja village, and thus, not against allowing someone to take multiple wives to revive a clan on the brink of extinction. There won't be more than four girls in it, and two have already been tentatively picked..**

· **Gender-bending, the two women picked tentatively are gender-bends, one of which you'll see in this chapter. **

**I swear, I was _this_ close to doing Fem-Sasuke, and then I really got to thinking about it and realized that: A, it seems that it's been done allot recently(although few are actually one well); And B, that everyone would expect such a union to produce a bunch of rinnegan wielding children(or maybe they exchange DNA to gain it themselves), and I have no interest in that. If you ask me, the two bloodlines at their highest peaks, Mokuton, and EMS, are WAY powerful on they're own. I'm still tempted, purely because I thought up an interesting plot twist of Fem-Sasuke being the great-great granddaughter of Madara. I think I'll leave the option open, and let reviews decide.**

**I think that pretty much covers it, so now, onto the summary, then to the disclaimer and such.**

**Naruto: Mokuton Chronicles:**** 64 years ago, in the Village hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure no Sato, a baby girl, by the name of Chihiro Senju, was born to the First Hokage and his wife. At the age of 30, she gave birth to a son, though she tragically died in child birth. While the baby was being looked over by doctors, a mistake occurred, and the stillborn child of a widowed civilian woman was accidently mistaken as Chihiro's, with the young Senju heir being given to the civilian woman. Her name, Irina Namikaze. The civilian died soon after naming her 'son', leaving him to be raised in an orphanage. Thus the child grew up, unknowingly following in his grandfather and grand-uncles footsteps, becoming the Fourth Hokage, and sacrificing his life for the village, by sealing the Kyuubi no Kitsune in his son. Now, Naruto Uzumaki will grow, with no-one knowing his true heritage, until the ancient bloodline, hidden deep within his veins begins to stir, and he begins his journey as the last male Senju. **

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Chapter One: Stirring, The Clan with a Thousand Skills!**

* * *

**-Konoha-**

Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The most powerful of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, one of the few whose leader was granted the title of 'kage'.

It was a pleasant day in the village, lightly sunny, with the occasional cloud, and a pleasant breeze keeping it cool out.

Konoha was a village of great beauty, surrounded on all sides by vast forests and crystal clear blue rivers. even within the confines of its enormous walls, there were training grounds with lush forests, and blue lakes and streams, perfect for using water jutsu.

The village was arrayed in a semi-web pattern, spreading out from the Hokage Tower. Behind the Hokage Tower stood a large mountain, with four faces carved into its stone.

The first, a man with long hair, wearing the standard hitai-ate of the village.

Next to him, was the face of a man with shaggy hair, and a happuri, with three markings on his face, one on the chin, and on either cheek.

Third, was a man that had slightly spiky hair, with a goatee and three lines under his eyes.

Finally, was a man with spiky hair, and a young, angular face.

The mountain was the Hokage Monument, and the faces upon it were those of the four men to have achieved the title of Hokage, 'Fire Shadow'. It was in the Hokage Tower, in the Hokage's own office, where this story begins, with two men watching a small boy cry at not being chosen for adoption once again.

* * *

**-Hokage's Office, 12:00 p.m., with the Hokage-**

The Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat hunched over his desk, gazing into a small crystal ball. The man seemed to be staring intently at whatever he saw in the orb.

The Sandaime was a very old man by any standards, ninja, _or_ civilian. He had survived all three Shinobi World Wars, and earned the names of 'The Professor', and 'God of Shinobi'.

His face was wrinkled, with liver marks on his left cheek, and three deep lines radiating from the corner of his eyes. He had a white goatee, and matching hair under his strange hat.

Speaking of his hat, it had four rounded corners, with the majority of it being red, and a small triangle being white, with the kanji four 'fire' in it, with a cloth drape that fell from beneath the brim, to his shoulders, and two cords running along the side midway up the left side. The rest of his attire consisted of a set of red and white robes.

The Hokage let out a sad sigh as he watched the object his jutsu was focused on. This object was a small boy, who appeared to be about six years old.

The boy was fair-skinned, with shaggy blond hair, and eyes that were deep blue, like sapphires. On each of his cheeks, he had three red marks, almost resembling whisker marks. His face was slightly round, like most children, and he was of a slightly scrawny build for his age. Currently the boy was wearing a black shirt with a grey swirl on it, and beige shorts, with green ninja sandals.

The reason Hiruzen gave the sigh, was the sight of the boy. He was sitting on a bed, knees pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped around them, with his head down and a few tears falling down his face.

There was no sound to the orb, but Hiruzen could read his lips, as the boy spoke to himself.

_"Why won't anyone adopt me? Why do they all give me those cold looks? Why do I feel only sadness and hat when they look at me? I just want a family!" _The boy cried to himself.

"Why indeed Naruto . . .why can they not look past the shadow of the beast you contain, and see the small boy yearning for attention? Even the teachers at the the academy shun you, and help you less than the bare minimum. " Hiruzen muttered to himself.

Naruto Uzumaki, the third jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and secret son of the Yondaime Hokage, and the the second jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, had just been passed over for adoption once more.

Behind him, someone shifted forward out of the shadows, looking over the Hokage's shoulder. The person wore a form fitting black tank-top with a turtle neck, with long black gloves that went to the mid forearm, and grey metal arm guards. They wore a grey flak-jacket, with black ninja pants, taped at the ankles with black ninja sandals. There were three ninja pouches strapped to their back-waist, and a red spiral tattoo on their left shoulder.

The most distinctive feature of the individual was their gravity defying silver hair, and the wolf-shaped porcelain mask, with its blank black eye-holes staring at the orb. The mask marked him as a member of Konoha's Black Ops division, the ANBU.

"Tell me Kakashi, have I failed Minato, by allowing his son to live so sad and shunned?" Hiruzen asked the now named Kakashi.

Kakashi seemed to think over the question, before answering in a male voice.

"It's not you that shuns him Hokage-sama. If anyone has failed Minato-sensei, it's the villagers. Still . . . ." Kakashi trailed off, as if not sure if he could continue.

Sarutobi turned his head slightly, looking at the masked man out of the corners of his eyes, letting loose a sigh.

"You can say it Kakashi. It's the reason I asked you to come and watch with me. I could still do more for Naruto. I simply wished for confirmation that5 this was the correct path." Sarutobi said.

The ANBU nodded in agreement, choosing to remain silent.

"I think, I shall try to introduce him to at least a few people who will accept him. To begin, I think I will take young Naruto-kun to his mothers favorite restaurant for lunch. Good day Kakashi, I'll expect that report on your last mission by tomorrow." Hiruzen said, as he stood from his seat, and made for the door to the office.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi called with a bow of his head, before vanishing in a plume of smoke.

* * *

**-Streets of Konoha, with the Hokage-**

As he walked down the streets of his Village, idly greeting and responding to greetings, he couldn't help but wonder at how such seemingly kind people could be so cold to a young boy. Seeing the happy families going about their business, he knew Naruto deserved that, even if he would most likely never get it.

While walking, he noticed something strange. All the trees and other plant life he walked past, seemed less vibrant and green than usual. It was strange, because just earlier the plants had looked as green as ever. Now, they looked like the leaves were almost dead on the branches.

_'Strange I've only seen such a change happen whenever . . .whenever . . .whenever Hashirama-sensei was unhappy. But how? Neko doesn't have the Mokuton strong enough to cause this, so how is it possible?'_ Sarutobi wondered to himself, still walking through the streets.

He spent the entire trip to the orphanage unsuccessfully wracking his brain for an answer to this conundrum.

* * *

**-Konoha Orphanage, 12:30 p.m., with the Hokage-**

As he walked into the yard in front of the orphanage, Sarutobi looked upon the yard in front of the building in sadness. There were far too many children here for his tastes. It was a reminder of the effect of the Kyuubi attack.

He also idly noticed that the plants in the area looked . . . wilted, and less healthy than they should this time of year, just like the rest of Konoha, only slightly worse, as they were actually wilting.

Pushing these thoughts aside, he walked the short distance into the building. Once inside, he could hear the sounds of children playing all around, and for a moment, he almost forgot how much sadness there was in this place.

Shaking his head, he made his way to the matrons office. As he beheld the simple sliding door, he knocked sharply upon the wood.

"Come in." A aged female voice called.

Without delay, he slid it open, and smiled at the woman inside, sitting behind a simple wooden desk.

She was around the same age as him, with her grey hair pulled up into a bun, and wearing a simple black kimono.

"Oh, Hiruzen-kun, how good to see you. What brings you to the orphanage?" She asked kindly, and with a sense of familiarity.

She had run the orphanage since almost the same time as he became Hokage, and they had known each other for nearly as long, so she had no problem addressing him with familiarity.

"It's good to see you too Mahana-chan. I'm here to see Naruto-kun, I think I'll take him out to lunch, it's high time someone took an interest in the boy." Hiruzen replied.

This earned a smile from the woman.

"Yes, it certainly is. He's a smart one that boy, and kind too, remarkably like his father was at that age." She said.

Hiruzen's heart stopped for a moment, as he took a sharp intake of breath. A mischievous gleam entered Mahana's eyes at this reaction.

"Oh come now, I raised that boy since he was less than a month old, did you really think I wouldn't recognize his son when they look so similar? Even if Naruto is much sadder than Minato was, they are far too similar for it to be coincidence." Mahana told him.

Hiruzen let out a sheepish chuckle at the response. He really should have expected her to notice that Naruto was Minato's son.

"Well, I'd best go get Naruto." He said, eager to avoid further discussion on the subject. It wasn't wise to talk about things like this without privacy seals up.

He received an amused wave as he walked out the door, shaking his head at her behavior. The Sandaime just _knew_ she had been waiting to reveal that little piece of insight.

Walking down the halls, he eventually came to the room he knew Naruto to be in.

Without waiting, he moved to knock on the door. Before he could however, a voice called out from inside the room.

"G-go away please I want t-to be alo-ne r-right now."

_'How did he know I was there?' _Sarutobi wondered, before he shook it off, and spoke up.

* * *

Naruto lifted his head up off his arms, staring at the door as he sensed a presence on the other side of the door.

He could always feel when somebody was close, and sort of tell what they were feeling. It's how he knew that there was always someone following him out of sight.

"G-go away please I want t-to be alo-ne r-right now." Naruto called, voice wavering slightly. He had been crying recently over being passed over for adoption again.

He was surprised when the voice that answered wasn't the matron, as he expected, but a cheerful male voice that was familiar.

"But if I were to do that, I wouldn't be able to take you to lunch Naruto-kun!" The man called.

Instantly, Naruto leapt from his bed, skidding across the floor and yanking the door open.

Standing there was one of the two people that ever showed any interest or kindness to him, the old Hokage, or 'Sarutobi-jiji' as he knew him.

"Sarutobi-jiji, what're you doing here?" He asked in excitement, with a large smile. It was rare to get to see the Hokage.

Hiruzen chuckled at the boys enthusiastic greeting. It was good to see him smile for once.

"As I said, I want to take you out for lunch. I'd also like to speak to you about a few things." Hiruzen answered.

Without hesitation Naruto nodded in ascent, walking out and closing his door.

"Alright, let's go!" Naruto cheered, taking the hand Sarutobi was holding out to him.

Once more Hiruzen chuckled as they walked out of the building.

Yes, it was good seeing the boy so happy.

As he was having these thoughts, he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. What he saw caused him to stop on the spot. The reason for his stopping, was the plants surrounding the orphanage.

Minutes before, they had appeared to be wilting, but now, they were as green as ever, possibly greener.

His mind quickly reached a conclusion as his eyes snapped to the confused Naruto.

_'The plant were worse here than anywhere else, because it was the epicenter of it. Naruto was extremely sad, and now he's happy, the plants react to his emotions! He has the Mokuton as strong as Hashirama-sensei! But the only way to have that . . . ' _He looked at Naruto as he reached a conclusion.

_'Is if he was related to him!' _Sarutobi concluded.

"Jiji, is something wrong?" Naruto asked curiously, having noticed that the Hokage seemed distracted.

Sarutobi shook himself out of his thoughts, focusing on the boy holding his hand.

"Oh no, nothing at all Naruto-kun, I was simply thinking of where we should eat. Tell me, have you ever had ramen?" Sarutobi asked.

* * *

**-Ichiraku's ramen stand, 1:00 p.m., with the Hokage and Naruto-**

"So Naruto-kun, how do you like ramen?" Hiruzen asked.

The two were sitting in a rather simple looking ramen stand, owned by an friendly father and daughter, who hadn't batted an eye at serving Naruto, much to both customers joy.

Currently, Naruto was slurping happily on a miso pork ramen, while Sarutobi ate his tonkotsu chicken ramen at a steady pace.

He had idly noted that there were more people watching from out of sight than usual. They had seemed to begin following at the same time he started walking with his Jiji, leading him to believe they were a guard of some sort. That then followed that the ones following him were a guard, but why?

Meh, what did he care, he was too busy enjoying a delightful new dish,

With an almighty slurp, Naruto finished the bowl in front of him, before answering the question.

"It's awesome, thanks for bringing me Jiji! I can't believe I haven't been here before, it's right on the way to the orphanage from the academy." Naruto replied.

Sarutobi chuckled, before he suddenly turned contemplative. He turned to his ramen, using eating it as an cover for his contemplation, without letting Naruto know.

Naruto's mention of the Academy reminded him of how the academy teachers treated him. It was bad enough when he was just the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi and the Yondaime's son. The boy needed to be strong to fend off his father's enemies.

Now however, Naruto might possibly be the last male Senju, and possess the Mokuton kekkei genkai. It was now absolutely vital that he be able to defend himself by the time people knew of his existence, because other villages would come for them either to stop the re-population of the Senju in Konoha, or to kidnap him and repopulate them in _their _village. His having the Mokuton would only further fan the flames.

With how things in the academy were going, it was almost guaranteed that eventually Naruto would start to give up on trying to learn, and his brilliance would fade, his potential unrealized.

_'Unacceptable. If the Academy won't teach him properly, I'll give him one that will. I'm sure Neko will be more than happy to oblige. Now, to get Naruto to agree to it, and to keep it quiet.'_ Sarutobi thought.

Taking a break from the ramen, he noticed Naruto looking at his empty bowl as if hoping it would refill.

He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Teuchi-san, another bowl for Naruto-kun please." He called to the chef.

"Of course Hokage-sama, Ayame will bring one right away." Teuchi called in reply. Teuchi was an man in his forties with brown hair and tan skin, with narrow eyes.

Naruto looked up at Sarutobi with a huge smile, happy to get another bowl of the delicious new dish.

"Thanks Jiji!" He cheered.

Sarutobi chuckled, reaching over to ruffle the blondes hair, causing him to pout. Seeing the smile on Naruto's face, Hiruzen decided to broach the subject of Naruto's education.

"So Naruto, it's come to my attention that you are at the bottom of your class at the academy." He began, noticing Naruto tense beside him, head hanging down.

"I try, I really do, but the teachers ignore me when I have a question, and they look for reasons to throw me outta class." Naruto said dejectedly, ashamed at being the 'dead last' or the 'dobe', when he had proclaimed his dream was to be Hokage.

How could he be Hokage when he was the worst student? Even if it wasn't his fault.

Hiruzen sighed as he saw the boy become depressed, and noted the plants wilting in the nearby area. This was the final proof for him that it was indeed Naruto doing this.

He placed a gentle hand on Naruto's back, before speaking to him in a kind tone.

"There there my boy, It's not your fault. It is the instructors that are to blame. If they refuse to teach you, I shall simply have to find you a tutor that will. How does that sound?" He said/asked.

Naruto's gaze snapped up to look at Sarutobi with a hopeful look.

"Really? You'd do that? I promise, I'll work really hard Jiji, I'll be better than anyone else in class!" Naruto answered, the depression of a moment earlier forgotten.

The Hokage couldn't help but smile at the boys enthusiasm.

"Good. You'll find your tutor to be a hard taskmaster. Come to my office tomorrow to meet them. We'll meet around noon." Hiruzen told the boy, who began cheering.

With that conversation behind them, the pair turned back to their respective meals, including Naruto's newly arrived second helping of ramen.

* * *

**-Hokage's Office, 5:00 p.m.-**

Sarutobi sat behind his desk looking at a brown haired ANBU standing in front of it, wearing a cat mask with green and red markings. An hour ago he had finally dropped Naruto off at the orphanage, after spending the afternoon with him.

The boy had shown that he had a taste for ramen, although not nearly as big as his mothers, having only eaten three bowls. Kushina would have gone through ten at that age.

He took a drag from his pipe, exhaling a ring of smoke, before speaking to the ANBU.

"I have a long term mission for you Neko. Should you choose to accept it, you will be leaving the ANBU and returning to the regular forces for at least six years." Sarutobi told the ANBU.

"What's the mission Hokage-sama?" Neko asked.

Sarutobi smiled, knowing Neko would take the mission after hearing of his suspicions about Naruto.

"I want you to become a tutor to Naruto Uzumaki. The teachers at the Academy won't teach him because of what he contains. The boy has suffered much, when he is really a hero, he is shunned. I wish to change this, and allow him to form bonds. Should you accept, you will be his sensei until he graduates." Sarutobi explained

If you could see behind the mask, you would see that Neko was surprised by this.

"Why did you choose me Hokage-sama, surely someone else would be a better choice?" Neko asked.

"I chose you, because I discovered yesterday that Naruto might possess the Mokuton kekkei genkai. So you see, you might be the _only_ one that can teach him." Hiruzen replied.

If before the face of Neko was surprised under the mask, it was downright shocked now.

"Mokuton? Do you think Orochimaru–" Neko began, only to be cut off by Hiruzen holding up his hand.

"No, I don't think he is a victim of Orochimaru's experiments. I believe, that Naruto-kun may be the great-grandson of the Shodai Hokage." Hiruzen said.

He couldn't help but let out a chuckle at hearing Neko gasp. However, he still wanted an answer as to whether Neko would take the mission.

"Now, will you take the mission?" He asked.

"Yes, of course I will Hokage-sama." Neko replied immediately.

Sarutobi smiled at the reaction, before spoke once more, in the commanding tone he used for issuing orders.

"Very well then. Squad Captain of ANBU Squad 6, Neko, remove your mask." The Hokage ordered.

Haltingly, as if second guessing the decision, Neko reached up to remove the mask. Finally, Neko grabbed hold of it and took the mask off.

As the long brown locks fell to frame Neko's face, her beautiful features were revealed. She looked about sixteen, and she was tall, almost 5'6, and had a pale skin texture, with long, walnut brown hair, that went past her shoulders, with bangs that framed her slender face. Her eyes were almond-shaped, and black, surrounded by thick eyelashes, with thin brown eyebrows over them.

"From this moment until you return to ANBU, your codename will be 'Yamako'. You will be a Jōnin. Report here tomorrow to meet Naruto-kun, you'll begin training him immediately after." Sarutobi ordered, receiving a nod from the now dubbed 'Yamako'.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Yamako replied, before shunshining out of the office.

* * *

**-Hokage's Office, next day, 12:00 p.m., with Naruto-**

Naruto couldn't keep the grin on his face as he knocked on the door to the Hokage's office. Not even the looks from the villagers and teachers at the Academy had been able to bring his spirits down today.

That had seemed to disturb the villagers, only adding to his happiness.

"Come in." The Hokage's voice called.

Eagerly, Naruto slid open the door, and marched into the Hokage's office. Sarutobi-jiji was sitting there in the high-backed green chair behind his desk.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, right on time. Please, have a seat, while we wait for your new sensei to arrive, I expect it won't be long." Sarutobi told him.

With his grin still in place, Naruto did as asked, sitting across from the Hokage.

"So Jiji, what kinds of things is my sensei gonna teach me, will they make me super-strong?" Naruto asked excitedly.

The Sandaime chuckled at the enthusiasm of the boy. It was one of the few reasons he remained Hokage, to see as the younger generations grew up into fine shinobi. That and there was literally two people who were strong enough to hold the title. Those two being his students Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"I suspect you'll learn many things, that will make you heads and shoulders above others your age, maybe even chūnin level." Sarutobi said, trying to encourage the boy.

Although, if he knew 'Yamako', she would have Naruto at closer to jōnin level by the time he graduated.

Just as they were about to continue the conversation, Naruto's head snapped to the left. Sarutobi was about to ask him what was the matter, when Yamako appeared directly in Naruto's line of sight.

She was dressed in a standard Jōnin attire, though the shirt had a form-fitting collar, that went to her chin, and it lacked the swirl symbol on the shoulders. She wore a happuri similar to the Nidaime.

_'Incredible, he knew she would appear there . . . just like yesterday at the orphanage. How could he . . . unless . . .'_ Sarutobi thought.

For her part, Yamako was busy assessing Naruto. He looked small for his age, and slightly scrawny, meaning physical fitness was the first thing she would need to work on.

As for Naruto, he was looking curiously at who he expected must be his sensei. While he was surprised it was a woman, in his opinion that just said she was super strong, if Jiji chose her out of everyone. He also noted that she was really pretty.

The soon to be student and sensei were interrupted from their assessing of each other by a question from the Hokage.

"Naruto, did you just sense where Yamako-chan was going to appear before she even appeared?" Sarutobi asked, confusing Naruto, and gaining widened eyes from Yamako.

_'Mokuton_ and_ a sensor ability? When you add in the Kyuubi, this kid is practically a blue-chip shinobi before he even gets training!'_ Yamako thought in wonder.

Naruto was merely confused. Jiji asked it as if he thought sensing someone coming like that was unusual, which was unfathomable to him, because he had always sensed other people, making it normal to him.

"Yeah, why? I've always been able to tell when someone's around, and sorta what they're feeling. I can tell there's four other people in the room besides us, isn't that normal?" Naruto asked in confusion.

The four individuals he mentioned, the hidden ANBU guarding the Hokage, nearly dropped their jaws at hearing they were sensed by a child that wasn't even halfway through the Academy.

Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe, before answering.

"No, it's not. That is a very rare gift, called a Sensor Ability. Yours seems particularly strong, as you can sense the presence of others that haven't even arrived, even without training it." Hiruzen answered, with Yamako nodding in agreement.

This stunned Naruto for a moment, before he broke out in a grin.

"Man, I reek of awesomeness!" He cheered.

The Sandaime and Yamako chuckled at his antics, before Sarutobi cleared his throat.

"Now, I believe introductions are in order. Naruto-kun, this is Yamako, and despite her youth, she's a rather gifted jōnin. Yamako-chan, this is Naruto Uzumaki, he shows much potential as you can tell from his newly discovered sensor abilities alone." Sarutobi said to the other two.

Naruto stood up and went over to Yamako, offering her his hand. She took it with a small smile, shaking his hand.

"It's nice to meet you Yamako-sensei, when do we start training?" Naruto asked eagerly.

He almost became sorry for asking, as her face took on a 'ghoul-eyes' expression, with light like from a flashlight coming from nowhere, giving her a haunting appearance.

"Right now Naruto-kun." She said in a creepy tone, grabbing hold of his shoulder and performing a seal less shunshin.

In the silence that followed, Sarutobi could be heard chuckling, before outright laughing.

"I did warn him she was a hard taskmaster!" He laughed.

The ANBU watching could only sweat dropped. Their Hokage was strange sometimes.

* * *

**-Training Ground 12, two years later-**

An eight-year-old Naruto stood in front of his sensei, eagerly waiting for a surprise she said she had for him.

He had progressed far, even though in the Academy he portrayed himself as a loud-mouthed idiot that loved to pull pranks. Naruto considered the act itself one long prank, and he couldn't wait to see people's faces when they realized his true skills.

The eighteen-year-old jōnin smiled at her student. Over the two years she had been training him, Naruto had advanced far. His reserves and control made him a natural at ninjutsu, and his sensing abilities would make him a great tracker.

His taijutsu, while nowhere near his ninjutsu, was still extremely good, considering his amazing speed and strength. Even though he wasn't happy with his skills, they were more than good enough until he could learn another style.

Finally, his genjutsu was his worst branch of skill, as he could merely dispel any illusion up to C-rank, and could only use the Bunshin no Jutsu(1), and the D-rank 'Hell Viewing' technique. Still, that was better than most people with his reserves could do.

Now, she was certain he was ready to begin harder areas of study, like Fūinjutsu, and Nature Transformation. The Sandaime had consented to teach him Fūinjutsu, as he was adept enough to teach Naruto to the point he could continue studying on his own. That left the Nature Transformation to her to teach.

"Ok Naruto-kun, you've come far in the past two years. Your skills are to the point Hokage-sama and I have decided to teach you harder areas of the Ninja Arts. Twice a week you will go to the Hokage Tower to learn fūinjutsu with the Sandaime." She told him.

Naruto grinned at this. Ever since he had read about what fūinjutsu could do, he had been itching to learn it, but Jiji had told him he couldn't do it yet, as he needed to focus on the basics first.

Apparently he had the basics down good, because now he was going to learn new things. His grin only widened when his sensei continued.

"As for me, I'll be teaching you an advanced form of chakra control called Nature Transformation. You change your chakra, to take on a nature, or element. This is one of the two techniques necessary to create jutsu." She told him, looking to make sure she had his attention before continuing.

"It's not necessary to know this to use elemental jutsu, but it makes them more powerful." She said.

Naruto's grin almost split his face at this. It meant he was going to begin learning elemental jutsu, one of the cornerstones to become a jōnin, and he was learning it before he even became a genin!

"So, how do we start?" He asked eagerly.

"We begin by discovering your elemental affinity. There are five basic elements; Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water. Every shinobi has an element they are most attuned to, their elemental affinity. We'll discover your affinity, with this." She said, pulling a square piece of paper from the pouch at the back of her hip.

Naruto looked at the paper curiously. He had trained his sensor abilities over the past two years, and while progress was slow, it was to the point he could sense chakra in not only people, but things. His abilities allowed him to sense a tiny pulse of chakra coming from the paper.

"What's that, there's chakra coming from it." Naruto observed.

Yamako smiled slightly, happy his abilities in sensing had allowed him to tell that there was chakra in then paper.

"Very astute Naruto. This is chakra paper. It comes from a tree that is fed chakra as it grows. The result, when you channel chakra into it, it shows a person's affinity by having a specific reaction." She explained.

Naruto looked like he was going to ask a question, but she held a hand up to keep him quiet, before continuing.

"The reactions are; Fire, the paper catches fire and burns to ashes, Wind, it splits, Lightning, it wrinkle's, Earth, it crumbles and turns to dirt, finally, Water, it becomes wet or damp. The reaction strength may vary, depending on the strength of the affinity." Yamako said, before she held up the paper she was holding so he could see it clearly.

"Now while everyone has at least one affinity, some, others, some, have more than one–" The brunette said, channeling chakra into the paper.

The paper instantly had two reactions, one half became wet, and the other crumbled and turned to dust.

"As you can see, I have two, one to water, and one to earth, both of equal strength, now, let's see what your affinity is." Yamako said, as she dropped her own paper, and pulled another from her pouch.

She handed it to Naruto, and watched in hidden anticipation as he took it. This would either prove or disprove the Sandaime's theory about Naruto.

Naruto could sense his sensei's excitement, but merely brushed it off as her being eager to see his affinity. Not wanting to make her wait, he channeled chakra into the paper.

Instantly the paper had two reactions, one half became extremely soggy, and the other became dirt, not even crumbling first.

Naruto looked up at his sensei with wide eyes, surprised that they had the same affinities.

Yamako, simply smiled. It appeared that the Sandaime was right, Naruto had the Mokuton.

"Sensei, we have the same affinities, does that mean that we're, related, or something?" Naruto asked, a slight hint of hope in his voice.

After all, he didn't know much about affinities besides that it wasn't uncommon to inherit them from your parents. So, it wasn't strange that he thought that them having the exact same affinities meant they might be related. He was an orphan, so he always wanted to know where his family came from.

Yamako gave him a sad understanding look, before answering.

"Or something. It doesn't mean we're related. It means we share the same kekkei genkai, although mine doesn't come naturally, like yours does." She told him.

This caused Naruto to be sad for a moment, before realizing what she had said. He had a kekkei genkai? Those passed down in families, meaning that he would know who his family, or at least clan, was by his kekkei genkai. Although from the way she made it sound, she wasn't born with hers.

"I have a kekkei genkai? Which one?" He asked.

Smiling, Yamako went through three hand seals so fast Naruto almost missed it. There was a sound of earth moving underground, before a series of wood pillars burst from the ground from left and right, locking together into a domed wall.

"The rarest of all, the Mokuton." She answered with an uncharacteristic grin.

Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He had the legendary bloodline limit of the Shodai Hokage? That meant . . .

"I see you've realized it. You are somehow related to the Shodai Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Sandaime-sama has suspicions of how this happened, but he needs to get a blood test done to be sure." Yamako said.

Naruto felt a soaring feeling in his stomach for a moment. He finally knew where he came from, at least, which clan. That's when he remembered what clan that was. The Senju, there was only one other Senju alive. Still, it was better than nothing.

"So when will he be able to do the blood test?" Naruto asked in anticipation.

"It's already done. I took advantage of our spar earlier this week to collect a small blood sample. We're going to the Hokage's Office right now to get the results." Yamako said, ignoring the tick mark developing on Naruto's forehead.

She turned around and began walking away, turning her head with a teasing smile to look at Naruto, who was gaping in shock indignation at having his blood taken unknowingly.

"Well, aren't you coming? I thought you'd want to know what " She asked, turning to begin walking again.

That seemed to shake him from his shock.

"WHAT? THAT'S ALL YOU GOT TO SAY? YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE YOU'RE STUDENTS BLOOD LIKE THAT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND PRETEND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!" He yelled after her indignantly, grudgingly walking after her, grumbling about 'stupid vampire sensei's'.

* * *

**-Hokage's Office, 2:00 p.m.-**

Sarutobi placed his crystal ball back in its drawer, knowing that Yamako and Naruto were heading to his office. It was amusing seeing the interaction between Naruto and his teacher. Yamako had certainly opened up around Naruto, usually she didn't tease people like that.

Ever since she had been found as the only survivor of his wayward students experiments, she hadn't really opened herself up to anyone save himself, and maybe Kakashi. This was perfectly evident in the fact she had been in the ANBU since the age of ten, before he gave her this assignment.

So, giving her a student who shared her mokuton abilities, on top of not having many people close to him, helped both, as they were almost sure to relate to each other. And he had been correct, as she was the person Naruto was closest to besides himself.

Shaking himself from these thoughts, he turned his attention to waiting for the two to arrive.

It didn't take long, only fifteen minutes before there was a knock on his door, and it slid open.

Naruto and Yamako walked in, sitting down in front of him. Naruto shot Yamako one last dirty look, much to her amusement, before turning to the Hokage with an eager expression.

"So Jiji, do you have the results? What are they? Did you find out who my parents were?" Naruto asked in rapid succession.

He had waited so long to find out where he came from, if his parents loved him. Waiting was killing him.

"Whoa there Naruto-kun, slow down, take a breath." He said, holding up a hand.

Naruto nodded reluctantly, taking a deep breath and sitting back.

Sarutobi smiled, taking a drag off his pipe, before speaking.

"Now, in order. I do have results. They prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are related to the Shodai, his great-grandson, in fact. Finally . . ." Sarutobi paused, taking a deep breath, knowing that what he was about to say wouldn't sit well with the boy.

"I didn't need to look at the results to know who your parents were, I have always known." He said.

For a moment there was silence, as Naruto looked completely stunned. Finally, his head fell forward, as he gazed at his lap,

Sarutobi was about to speak, before he snapped his eyes back up in a glare. Hiruzen almost had a heart attack, for a moment thinking Naruto had the sharingan. But he quickly realized this was different. His eyes were red, and slightly glowing, with no pupils.

As for Naruto, upon hearing the Hokage's admission that he had always known who his parents were, he felt numb for a moment. That gave way to anger. Who was _he_ to not tell him who his parents were? He felt a slight stinging in his eyes, and became aware that he could now sense things even better, especially their emotions.

That's what caused him to unconsciously deactivate the dojutsu he had activated. He could feel how his Jiji felt about telling him this. He was sad, and it hurt him to hide it from Naruto.

"Why?" He asked quietly, surprising the other two.

Sarutobi gave a sigh of relief. It seemed Naruto was going to listen to his explanation.

"Your parents were very strong shinobi, and made many enemies, especially your father. If certain groups were to find out you were his son, they would stop at nothing to see you dead. After the Kyuubi attack, we were too weak to repel the attacks that would come, we still aren't. I decided that until you were older, old enough to understand why you couldn't tell people who they were, and strong enough, strong enough to fight off their enemies, that you shouldn't know." Hiruzen explained.

Naruto was silent for a moment, before nodding in understanding. It made sense. If he was honest with himself, if he had known who they were two years ago, he would have shouted it to the rooftops, completely blown the secret.

He could even understand waiting for him to be strong enough, as if he _had_ let the secret slip, he wouldn't be able to defend himself, and it wasn't right to ask others to die just to defend him, because he had a big mouth.

Still, while he wasn't strong enough, he was certainly old enough to keep his mouth shut.

On top of this, the list of people with that many enemies that died around eight years ago wasn't that long, so it was kind of pointless to hide it from him.

_'Oh boy . . . he's got that gleam in his eyes, one hundred percent determination. He's not leaving this office without me telling him who his parents were.'_ Sarutobi groaned mentally.

Sure enough, Naruto's next words proved him correct.

"You know, the list of people that could have been my parents is pretty short, if they had as many enemies as you say. Why not just tell me now, so I don't waste time looking for them, only to accidently expose the secret in doing so." Naruto said.

Sarutobi sighed in resignation, knowing he was beat. The boy was definitely like Minato in more than looks, but also brains.

"Fine. First, I will tell you about your mother, as her story is the easiest." Sarutobi began, making sure he had the boys attention.

"Your mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki, she was a former native of Uzushiogakure, before it's destruction at the beginning of the second Ninja World War. She was also the heiress of the Uzumaki clan, and became well known for her beauty, as well skills in sealing, and with her unique chakra chains." Hiruzen explained to the eager boy.

Naruto smiled upon hearing who his mother was. She sounded like a really strong Kunoichi. It also explained why he was allowed to wear the crest of the Uzumaki clan, although, that was a little known fact he found in a history book most Academy students wouldn't read.

He had entertained the idea of being an Uzumaki for a while, before dismissing it, as he lacked the signature red hair. Turns out, he was right about being an Uzumaki.

"And my father?" He asked, eager to learn about the parent he most likely got his Senju blood from.

Hiruzen paused to take a puff of his pipe, before answering.

"Yes, your father. His, was a rather more difficult tale to unravel. It took me almost the entire two years since I became aware you might have the mokuton, to find out his story." The Sandaime said.

"You see, 59 years ago, my sensei, Hashirama Senju, and his wife, Mito Uzumaki, had a second child, by the name of Chihiro Senju. 30 years later, she gave birth to a son, who would have been heir to the Senju clan. Unfortunately, she died in the process of giving birth, and the child was documented as being stillborn." Sarutobi told him.

Naruto got confused at this. If the child was stillborn, then how could that have anything to do with his father?

"I don't get it, then how could he have been my father?" Naruto asked.

Sarutobi sighed at being interrupted.

Yamako, bopped Naruto over the head, giving him a look of reproach.

"Maybe, if you let Hokage-sama continue, you'll find out." She told him.

Naruto had the decency to look sheepish.

The Sandaime chuckled at the interaction, before continuing.

"As I was about to say, at the same time, a civilian, by the name of Irina Namikaze, gave birth to a son of similar description. I believe, that a mix up occurred, and the Senju heir, was mistaken for her child, who was stillborn."

Upon hearing the name Namikaze, understanding began to dawn on Naruto's face.

"I see you are beginning to get the picture. Yes, Irina died shortly after naming her son Minato Namikaze, and the boy went to the orphanage, where he grew up to become the Yondaime Hokage, your father." Hiruzen finished.

Naruto's eyes trailed up to the picture of the Yondaime, resting on the wall. His father had been Hokage. He was the Kiroi Senkō, master of the Hiraishin and Rasengan, he'd given his life fighting the Kyuubi, and managed to ki-

Wait, something wasn't right. He had read that Bijuu were massive beings of chakra with a consciousness. They _couldn't_ be killed. So then, what happened to it?

His mind immediately flashed to a seal he had found on his stomach, when doing the water walking exercise. Yamako-sensei had dismissed it, telling him that it was something that the Hokage used to keep track of him, which, had made sense, at the time. Now, it seemed to not fit.

He went back to his learning about Bijuu. A word floated before his eyes, one only he could see.

_Jinchuriki_

The power if human sacrifice. At the time, it hadn't made sense, there was no explanation besides the name, no reason for why it was connected to Bijuu. Now, he thought he might know it's connection.

The way the villager all hated and disliked him. The Kyuubi seemingly disappearing, no trace of the body. Finally, the seal on his navel. He was pretty sure he knew what happened, as he unconsciously placed a hand on his stomach.

Sarutobi and Yamako – who was slightly shocked herself to learn her student was the son of the Yondaime – saw how he became quiet, the kind that meant he was thinking deeply. They thought at first he was simply digesting who his father was, until he clutched his hand to his stomach, a look of comprehension dawning on his features.

_'No way . . . could he have–' _ They thought, before he spoke.

"Tell me, this seal on my stomach, it's not for tracking, is it. It's to hold back the Kyuubi . . . my father sealed it inside me the night I was born, didn't he. I'm a Jinchuriki, the power of human sacrifice." Naruto said, for it wasn't so much a question as a statement.

Sarutobi looked sad, but nodded none the less.

"Why did he choose me?" Naruto asked, slightly bitter.

For the first six years of his life he was miserable. Nobody save the Hokage acknowledged him, and while it had improved in the past two years, he still couldn't help but be angry with his father.

Sarutobi sighed, having hoped to avoid this line of questioning.

"Well, to understand that, you must first know that you are not the first Kyuubi Jinchuriki." Sarutobi began, surprising Naruto.

"You are the third. The two that preceded you were only known to be jinchuriki by the Hokage and the higher-ups in Konoha. The first, was your great-grandmother, Mito Uzumaki. She sealed it inside herself when her husband had his legendary battle at the Valley of the End with Madara Uchiha, who had summoned and controlled the Kyuubi. The second, was your mother. She was brought to the village specifically because Mito-sama was dying, and she was the best candidate to become the Jinchuriki, as her chakra chains would allow her to keep it in check." The Sandaime explained to the shocked boy.

Not one, but _two_ members of his family held it before him?

"Now, on the night of your birth, the Kyuubi somehow got loose when your mother was giving birth to you, as that is the only time a jinchuriki's seal loosens. I watched your parents die sealing the beast into you. I think, Minato felt for some reason that if he wasn't willing to make the choice to seal it into his own child, he had no right to seal it into another person's child.." Sarutobi explained/asked.

Seeing he wasn't going to get an answer, he continued his explanation.

"It was his dying wish, that you be seen as a hero. Unfortunately, people did not acquiesce to this." Sarutobi finished.

The room was silent for a moment, before Naruto stood up and walked over to the picture of the Yondaime, and looked at it for a moment, before turning back and looking at them.

"So, can I start using the Senju name now?" Naruto asked.

"I suppose so, it will attract attention, but so long as you remain playing the fool, it shouldn't change too much. Do you wish to keep your mother's name, and take your father's name as well?" Sarutobi replied.

Naruto glanced back at the picture of his father before answering.

"I don't think so. No disrespect for my mother, but I'm a Konoha citizen. The Uzumaki were a clan in Uzushiogakure, the main clan. I think it's best that they're name not be tarnished by simply being added to the Senju name, living in its shadow." Naruto answered.

Sarutobi nodded, before realizing something.

"And what of your father's name?" He asked.

Naruto's eyes hardened slightly.

"He may have done what he thought was right, and I still respect him. He did what he needed to save his village . . ." Naruto began, causing Sarutobi's shoulders to slump in relief, at least, until he continued.

"However, that's only as a Hokage, he trusted in the good of his villagers, which is necessary as a Hokage. But . . . he chose to seal the Kyuubi in me in his capacity as a father, not Hokage. As a father, it was a foolish decision, especially when he wasn't ensuring me the protection the other two Jinchuriki had." Naruto said firmly.

Sarutobi sighed, but nodded in understanding. While it was sad, it wasn't unexpected. He too, thought that Minato had been overly trusting of the people. In his fatigue after the battle, he had foolishly went along with the young Yondaime's wish, only to realize the next day after resting, that it had been a terrible idea.

Yamako meanwhile, couldn't help but agree with her student. While she might have respected the Hokage as a shinobi and leader, his choice as a father was foolish.

With that, the blond turned and walked out of the office, with much to think about.

Sarutobi could only look sadly at the picture of the Yondaime.

_'I'm sorry Minato. Perhaps in time he will forgive you.'_ He thought.

* * *

**-Training Ground 12, two years later, 12:00 p.m.-**

Naruto sat calmly in the middle of the training ground he and his sensei used. His clothing hadn't changed much, simply having a the Senju clan crest where the Uzumaki crest was previously. He was taller, standing at 4'7 now, tall for his age.

His sensei sat across from him.

"So, what are we doing today Yamako-sensei?" Naruto asked curiously.

In the past two years he had worked tirelessly to master the first step of Nature Transformation for both earth and water. On top of that, he had learned several jutsu for both elements, and even a couple mokuton jutsu.

As far as taijutsu went, he was still using the academy style, but it was in the strength and speed department he had grown. He now wore weights on each limb, that could have the weight adjusted with chakra. They were currently set at 50 pounds apiece.

Finally, the Nature Transformation had his chakra control to the point he could dispel genjutsu that were B-rank, and cast some higher level genjutsu as well.

As far as fūinjutsu, he was at level two on the scale. Fūinjutsu experts had levels, one to ten, with ten being the highest level. The Yondaime himself had only been a level eight master.

Yamako gave her student a serious look, as today was a very serious milestone. She'd decided it was about time he established contact with the Kyuubi.

"I think it's time you contact the Kyuubi. As it's jinchuriki, it would be foolish not to at least have contact with it, and possibly, come to an agreement, so you can use it's chakra." Yamako told him.

Naruto nodded to this. He had been considering suggesting it soon.

"Alright, how do I start?" Naruto asked.

"You simply need to focus on retreating into your mind. I would suggest using your sensing abilities to find the place within yourself that you can feel the Kyuubi's chakra, and then draw yourself there." Yamako answered.

With a nod, Naruto closed his eyes, focusing his sensing powers on 'seeing' his chakra, and finding the area in that chakra that was different. It only took him a moment to find it.

His chakra was calming, and reminded him of nature. Inside that pool of calmness was a pit of darkness, anger, hate, and loneliness. He latched onto that feeling, and 'pulled' himself towards it.

* * *

**-Naruto's subconscious-**

The blond knew it worked, as all sounds of the surrounding forest had stopped, being replaced by a deep, slow, breathing.

He opened his eyes slowly, to reveal himself in a semi-dark chamber, with stone walls, and water on the floor. Unconsciously the Senju channeled chakra to his feet to remain on the water surface. Still, even while he noticed these things, his eyes remained fixed on the gigantic set of gates in front of him, with a paper with the kanji for 'seal', on it.

"Hello, are you there?" Naruto called into the darkness.

He cautiously began to walk forwards, towards the giant set of gates. For a moment, there was silence, until he was nearly right in front of the gate. In the darkness that lay within the gate, a single giant red eye cracked open.

The eye was easily as tall as Naruto, and was blood-red, with a slit pupil. Another eye opened soon after the first, followed by a giant set 0of teeth as long as Naruto was tall, gleaming white in a menacing grin that showed through the darkness.

**"At last, my puny prison has come before me. Why are you here, mortal?" **A deep menacing voice asked. It rumbled throughout the room, like the crash of thunder.

Slowly, the darkness within the cage disappeared, giving way to the form of a gigantic fox, with rabbit-like ears, and nine thrashing tails.

"My name's Naruto. I came to introduce myself, and bring a proposition, so we might make a deal, that I might use your chakra." Naruto said, surprising the fox that he wasn't outright demanding that he be given the chakra, instead, offering an exchange.

For a moment, there was silence, before the Kyuubi answered.

**"Very well boy, I will listen to your proposal, if only because your thrice-damned mokuton keeps me from wanting to rip you to shreds, as I normally would. But first, you must answer a question for me" **The Kyuubi growled.

Naruto gulped at hearing this, extremely glad he had the mokuton.

"Um, ok, what's the question?" Naruto asked cautiously.

The Kyuubi let loose a growling chuckle, before asking it's question.

**"Why do you not simply demand my chakra, boy? My previous container seemed to think they should simply wrest control of it from me, and leave me to rot." **Kyuubi asked.

Naruto at first frowned, at hearing how his mother and great-grandmother had treated the Kyuubi, before smiling, and answering.

"Well, I figure I would be pretty pissed if someone tried to take _my_ chakra from me, so why should I do that to you? I also believe, since we're stuck together, we might as well be partners, instead of trying to butt heads." Naruto answered.

The Kyuubi looked through his words carefully, using his Negative Emotions Sensing to see if the boy was lying. To his surprise, he wasn't. The boy truly wished to be partners with him.

**"Very well boy, let me hear this proposal." **He finally replied.

Naruto let loose a sigh of relief, glad the bijuu would hear him out. Still, there was one more thing he wanted to know.

"Well first, you probably know my name is Naruto Senju, but what's _your_ name?" Naruto asked in curiosity.

This question seemed to genuinely shock the bijuu. Not one of his previous containers had asked his name. Of course, neither of them had believed him to be anything more than a mindless beast, and neither had wanted to be partners with him.

**"What makes you think my name isn't Kyuubi?" **The bijuu asked, curious how the boy came to realize his name wasn't Kyuubi.

Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, Kyuubi sounds more like a designation, than a name. Not to mention that the Ichibi has a name, so it makes sense you would as well." Naruto replied logically.

The Kyuubi let loose a deep rumbling chuckle, that reverberated of the walls.

**"Well deduced boy, I guess, since you are the first of my jinchuriki to attempt to get to know me, I will tell you my name. It's Kurama." **The fox told him.

Naruto smiled. It seemed he was making progress.

"Kurama, ok, well Kurama, here's my proposal. I'll give you access to my senses, so you can see outside the seal, and I'll try to change the appearance of this place a bit. In exchange, you let me use your chakra." Naruto told the bijuu.

Kurama turned the idea over in his head, thinking of the pros and cons of this deal. It seemed pretty fair. He would get to see the outside world, if only vicariously, and he would get a more pleasant place to live. It was a win win.

**"Very well, I will agree to this plan. But you should know, it will be some time, before you can handle my full power. At your bodies current physical condition, you could handle two of my tails worth of power at the maximum." **The bijuu replied.

Naruto smiled happily, nodding in agreement.

"Alright, I'll try to change this place now." Naruto said, as he screwed his face up in concentration.

Slowly, the surroundings faded to become a white blankness. They slowly reconfigured, into a giant forest, with trees that could even tower above the Kyuubi. The cage remained though, only now, it was made of trees, and the gate of wood. Still, inside, the cage had expanded, giving the fox more room to move, inside a grassy clearing.

The Kyuubi was pleased with his new surroundings. It reminded him of the times before he was captured.

**"Thank you, Naruto. You had best go now, your sensei seems to be getting worried."** Kurama told him, a smile on his face, that was no less menacing.

Naruto nodded, willing himself to retreat from the seal.

* * *

**-Outside Naruto's subconscious-**

Yamako was beginning to get worried, as it had now been nearly a half hour since Naruto had entered his seal. Even though there was no signs he was in distress, she couldn't help but feel something might be going wrong.

To her relief, just as she thought this, Naruto's eyes snapped open, and he gave her a grin.

"Yo Yamako-sensei, everything worked fine. Me and Kurama worked out a deal." Naruto told her, giving her a thumbs up.

"Kurama?" She asked in confusion.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly, before clarifying.

"Oh, sorry. That's the Kyuubi's name. Anyways, he and I reached an agreement, so I can use his chakra." Naruto answered.

Yamako set aside her surprise at learning the Kyuubi had a name, and instead smiled upon hearing her student had managed to get the foxes cooperation.

"Good. Well, we better get back to work. I've only got three more years to train you, before you graduate. After that, our training time will be cut down severely." She told him.

Hearing this, Naruto became slightly sad. He had spent the past four years seeing her every day, and had even begun to use wood clones to skip class, so he could spend more time training with her.

Still, it seemed like she still planned to train him, even after he became a genin. That made him smile. It meant she cared about him as more than just some student she was assigned to train.

"Alright, let's get to it!" He declared happily.

* * *

**Chapter End **

**AN/ Ok, so here's the first chapter of my newest fic, Naruto: Mokuton Chronicles. Ha, Fem-Yamato, bet ya didn't see that coming!**

**Now, as stated at the beginning AN, I intend to have Naruto have at least a version of Ranmaru's dojutsu, I'd love to hear your opinions in the reviews as to whether he should have the full powers of that dojutsu, or if he should just have partial powers.**

**Also, I'd like opinions on the harem. As stated, he'll have four, and I already have two picked, obviously female Yamato for sure, and I have another tentatively picked. I'd love to hear ideas for girls for the other two spots(or maybe three if I change my mind on the other tentative pick).**

**So, I'm gonna move to beginning the first couple chapters of another idea I've been tossing around, to give time to get reviews and opinions on the things I mentioned above. The idea is based off of a story began by my friend, RinneBankai,(I actually got the idea for my name from him.), who has recently fallen on hard times, and doesn't have much room for fanfiction. So, he's given me permission to take the basic idea and run with it, and even given me a couple other fic ideas.**

**Well, i think that's all for not folks.**

**RinneTaicho, signing off!**

**P.S. -If you were wondering what Fem-Yamako looks like, I based her off of Natsuhi, from the anime only Hoshigakure Arc, only with brown hair, and black eyes.**

**1: Bunshin no Jutsu - Clone Jutsu**


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